Another sick axie! Help!

[Velaria]

Earlier today, I noticed that he/she was spending a lot of time at the surface of the water. This evening, when I looked at him/her again (I'll just call it "him" from now on, even though I have no idea what the gender is), his stomach struck me as unusually swollen, and there seems to be a lot of redness/blood inside the stomach. Then, I noticed that cloaca! OMG- huge, swollen, and gaping open! What is going on? Is this a cause for concern? If so, what could be causing it?

This axie was born November 6, so he's a very young adult. I don't think I can attribute this to sexual maturization- I've raised other axies and never noticed this before. I have 3 older axies- 2 males and 1 female. The female did not reach sexual maturity until she was over a year old. It took until then for her stomach to swell up with eggs. But this axie in the photos below seems to be too young to be filling up with eggs, IF it's a female... and females don't have testicles, so that does not explain the swollen cloaca!


His older tankmate (separated by a screen) is doing just fine, The PH, nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are just fine, I can't think of anything small enough in the tank that he may have swallowed, and he's moving around and acting just fine.











hermaphrodite??

[Kerry1968]

From the side and rear view of his tummy he looks VERY swollen, but the view from underneath, not so. The swollen cloaca and tummy made me think instantly of impaction, but you say there is nothing he can have swallowed?.......maybe he is constipated? Have you seen plenty of poo on his side of the tank?

I have two juvie axolotls that were hatched around the same time and they have shown themselves to definately be males! When I put the second juvie in the tank to join his brother last week (I thought one was female!) they both had their cloacas open and very swollen as though they were going to drop spermatophores.

I think if you're sure his tummy is definately swollen then the best thing to do would be to fridge him, this will help him pass any blockage if it's constipation.

Other than that I'm not sure, good luck with the little fella.

[Rayson]

Hi Velaria,

You have absolutely the funniest notes on the photos. The 'OMG" was hilarious.

Kerry is right that in some impaction/constipation type cases, the cloaca can appear enlarged. This is particularly so when there is a consequential cloacal prolapse. Fridging can help in those situations. What are those colourful crystal like pebbles? Are there any that can be ingested?

When axies are ready to deposit eggs or spermatophores, their cloacal region can look more enlarged, 'stretched out' and open. From your photos, i am actually more inclined to think this is the case.

Cheers.

[Justin]

I have to agree with Ray on this one. I think you just have an axolotl that is happy to see their tank mate through the screen.

[Velaria]

Thanks, guys!

Having been born on Nov. 6th, isn't he too young to be depositing spermatophores? And even if he isn't too young, then that still doesn't explain his swollen stomach. So even though there's nothing in his tank that he could have swallowed, should I assume that he's impacted for whatever reason, and then fridge him? It can't hurt...

Those crystals are all the same size- definitely too big for him to have gotten one in his mouth.

I do want to add that his tank mate is very obviously female and definitely "raring to go" (LOL), so maybe he's feeling some hind of attraction toward her, and he's therefore ready to deposit spermatophores even at such a young age? I do think that he's a male with a swollen stomach, and not a female with eggs in her stomach and a swollen cloaca.

So- fridge or not?

Thanks!

Tina

[Rayson]

Hi Tina,

I can actually see black finger tips on that axie. Spermatophores are still a possibility.

There is no harm in fridging. You can fridge for a week and assess accordingly.

Cheers.

[Velaria]

Update- normal cloaca, stomach still a little big, but not as big as before. I haven't fridged him at all, and I'm guessing at this point that I don't need to, and that he WAS just "in the mood". LOL! They grow up too fast, don't they??

Thank you!

[click]

Hi Velaria,

I am inclined to think constipation, I don't think the colouring of the toe tips is significant enough to indicate sexual maturity, I think you would have also found some evidence (spermataphore packages) in the tank. I think your axolotl has passed whatever was making him swollen.

[Justin]

Honestly, I never really saw where the stomach looked swollen in the first place. I don't think you have anything to worry about.